From Jude Chinedu, Enugu
The Catholic Church has disowned the Spiritual Director of Adoration Ministry, Enugu, Nigeria (AMEN), Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka, over statements he made against the presidential candidate of Labour Party, Peter Obi, on Wednesday.
Mbaka had among other comments described Obi as a stingy man and a joker who is unworthy of becoming president of Nigeria.
In a statement last night, the Catholic Bishop of Enugu Diocese, Callistus Onaga, condemned and dissociated the church from Mbaka’s comments describing it as divisive and unbecoming.
The statement read: “ The attention of the Diocesan Bishop, Most Rev. Callistus V.C. Onaga, and the Catholic Diocese of Enugu has been drawn to the inflammatory political utterances by Rev. Fr. Camillus Ejike Mbaka, the Director of Catholic Adoration Ministry Chaplaincy Enugu, on Wednesday, 15 June 2022 during his Wednesday Adoration Programme. Fr. Mbaka during his preaching attacked the good reputation of Mr. Peter Obi, the Labour Party Presidential Candidate, describing him as ‘a stingy man’ and as “a joker”, contrary to canon 220 of the 1983 Code of Canon Law which prohibits anyone from illegitimately harming the good name of a person.
“He also made fun of the Labour Party and vowed that Mr. Obi could not be the president of Nigeria. This is a clear violation of the provisions of canon 287 (2) which forbids priests from engaging in partisan politics.
“The Catholic Diocese of Enugu hereby condemns and dissociates herself from such unbecoming and divisive utterances from Fr. Mbaka. We notify the general public that Fr. Mbaka’s views on the matter are entirely personal to him and do not represent the position of the Catholic Diocese of Enugu.
“In an effort to keep him united to the Body of Christ, we enjoin him to refrain from making further provocative prophecies or utterances capable of heating up the polity. We assure the people of God and the general public that the Catholic Diocese of Enugu is taking the due canonical process.”